It’s not just a few cases; the situation of being harassed after borrowing money through an app is increasingly common. Are you or someone you know facing this situation?
Being splashed with shrimp paste, having bricks thrown into your house while you sleep, or worse, receiving unannounced calls to relatives with insulting words – these are forms of psychological harassment that many people who use online loan services through apps have to endure daily.
There’s no need to elaborate on the impact of these actions on the victims’ lives. In the short term, they can cause personal property damage, and in the long term, they can lead to psychological issues and family discord. Faced with this situation, what can you do when you’re harassed after borrowing money through an app?
The Current State of Harassment After Borrowing Money Through Apps
First, stay strong to resist the psychological harassment because you are not alone. Across our country, many such cases are happening, and the authorities and public opinion are on your side.
Borrowing Money, Parents Harassed
On June 15, 2022, Ms. N.T.C in Ward 9, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City, was harassed by a group of four people who demanded the payment of a 198 million VND debt, allegedly borrowed by her daughter. Despite both Ms. N.T.C and her daughter affirming to the press that they had not borrowed any money, the debt collectors continued to distribute flyers defaming her family.
Teacher Harassed, Whole School Affected
In late May 2022, Ms. N.T.N, a kindergarten teacher in Thong Nhat District, Dong Nai Province, borrowed money through an app. Later, she was harassed by debt collectors who posted defamatory information online using her and her colleagues’ images, including those of her children. Teachers, students, and other parents at the school were also contacted and defamed despite having no involvement.
No Loan, Still Harassed
On July 6, 2022, Mr. Đ.T.P in Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City, received a phone call from someone claiming to be from a finance company demanding a debt repayment. As he had not taken out any loan, he tried to arrange a direct meeting but was only met with insults. The group claimed he had borrowed money through an app called Senmo, although Mr. Đ.T.P had not, it was a namesake in Hanoi.
These three cases are just a few examples of the debt collection incidents in Vietnam today. This alarming reality also signals an impending change. When victims no longer remain silent, and public opinion gets involved, justice will soon be served.
Thus, you should definitely resist these actions. The following section will discuss the common methods these collectors use to harass and collect debts – but first, “prevention is better than cure.” When borrowing money through an app, choose reputable sources like Topgovn!
Common Harassment Methods When Borrowing Money Through Apps
Given these incidents, it is important to understand common debt collection tactics to prepare yourself and reassure your family and friends against these bad actors. Here are some common methods highlighted by Topgovn!
Direct Calls and Messages
Often used as an initial step, the debt collectors will use the phone number you provided to the online loan app to contact and harass you. Their messages typically include your name, phone number, some personal information to “appear threatening,” such as your ID number or health insurance details, and finally, a threat like “If you don’t pay, you’ll face consequences.”
Public Defamation on Social Media
With your name and phone number, debt collectors can easily find your social media accounts on platforms like Zalo or Facebook. By downloading the images you’ve posted, they will crudely edit them to create defamatory posts. These images often accuse you of fraud.
Property Damage
More daring or desperate collectors may find your or your relatives’ address to come and shout, smash things, throw paint, or shrimp paste. These actions can cause significant inconvenience to you, your family, and your neighbors – this is often the step that forces many people to sell property to pay the debt.
Targeting Related People
If they find it insufficient, the debt collectors will use the same tactics but change their targets to your relatives and friends. They will find these people through your social media friend list or launch widespread attacks on all colleagues and people at your company. At this stage, you can completely contact the police for investigation and handling.
In general, these harassment tactics often involve creating psychological and social pressure to force you to pay the debt. It is evident that these debt collectors are not brave enough to do anything that seriously affects you, so don’t worry!
What to Do If You’re Harassed After Borrowing Money Through an App?
With the above information, it’s clear that psychological harassment when borrowing through an app is a very unpleasant but predictable situation. However, this doesn’t mean that resolving these cases is simple. To minimize negative impacts on yourself and help eliminate this issue, here are some steps you can take!
Be Cautious with Unknown Numbers
The first and easiest thing you can do to avoid being disturbed by these calls is to block calls and messages from unknown numbers on your phone. Nowadays, this feature can be implemented on both phones and through mobile network providers. Each phone and network provider has slightly different methods, so you should research based on your situation!
Additionally, when being questioned by these collectors or when loan app employees ask for unnecessary information in the loan contract, you should refuse to cooperate. Absolutely do not provide your information if you feel suspicious!
Report to the Authorities with All Evidence
When frequently called, messaged, and threatened on social media, take screenshots and record evidence to report to the police. With evidence in hand, you can go to the local police station for guidance on procedures or contact the media to bring the story to light.
According to current Vietnamese law, defamation can be punished with fines ranging from 10 million to 50 million VND, non-custodial reform up to 2 years, or imprisonment from 3 months to 1 year. Furthermore, the crime of threatening to kill can be punished with imprisonment from 6 months to 3 years or non-custodial reform up to 3 years.
Stay Calm for Yourself and Those Around You
When there are signs of being attacked or humiliated online, you need to stay calm and reassure those around you by clearly explaining the situation. This can be done directly in conversations or through a social media post stating that you are being harassed. With information from you, the impact of these strangers will be significantly reduced.
Prevention Methods
Besides resolving the situation when it happens, the best thing you can do is prevent this from happening through methods such as:
- Manage Personal Finances Well: Before borrowing money, make sure you have the ability to repay it and ensure that the loan is a necessary decision.
- Only Borrow from Reputable Sources: Do not trust the offers from new lending systems, “loan supermarkets,” or infamous names. Thoroughly research the information about the lender online and carefully review the interest rates to ensure they comply with legal limits.
With the above information, Topgovn hopes you can overcome harassment when borrowing money through apps. Certainly, in the future, these methods will no longer exist and will be justly punished by the law. We just need to try to overcome it for now!
And next time you need to borrow money, choose Topgovn! With simple but secure and legitimate procedures, you can create a loan profile and submit it for approval on your mobile phone, then receive the money instantly through the app!
